Textile sliver coiling apparatus



Aug. 26, 1969 J. BROOKS ET AL I 3,462,800

TEXTILE SLIVER COILING APPARATUS Filed June 20, 1967 s Sheets-Sheet 1 ME 444 g/wqza 175/ Aug.26,1969 Q v ET A; 3,462,800

TEXTILE SLIVER COILING APPARATUS Filed June 20,1967 a Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 26, 1969 J. BROOKS ET AL TEXTILE SLIVER COILING APPARATUS F'iledvJune 20, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 MW 1% o 201/8 Aug. 26, 1969 J. BROOKS ET AL TEXTILE SLIVER CO ILI NG APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 20, 1967 Aug. 26, 1969 BROOKS ET AL 3,462,800

. TEXTILE smvmn comma APPARATUS Filed June 20, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 J. BROOKS ET AL TEXTILE SLIVE'R COILING APPARATUS Aug. 26, 1969 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 20, 1967 United States Patent Int. Cl. D04h 11/00 US. Cl. 19159 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for coiling textile slivers successively into a multiplicity of cans. A mechanism for rotating each of the cans is located directly under each can in operative position, and a wheeled carriage which is moved linearly for placing an empty can in the operative position in the filling station and removing the preceding full can. All the actions are accomplished automatically.

This application is a continuation-in-part application of Ser. No. 400,847, filed Oct. 1, 1964 entitled Textile Sliver Coiling Apparatus, now abandoned.

This invention relates to apparatus for coiling textile slivers into cans.

In conventional apparatus of this type the cans are individually mounted on a turntable which is driven so that the can is rotated while the sliver is passed into it through a rotating tube-wheel, the combined rotation of the tube-wheel and the can causing the sliver to be laid in coiled formation in the can. With the tendency to increase the delivery speed of the machines with which such coiling apparatus is associated, viz draw-frames, it is becoming necessary for efficient operation to provide automatic means for removing full cans of sliver from the coiling station and for replacing them with empty cans. The use of automatic means for changing rotating cans has hitherto entailed complication of the driving arrangements for the can, and in some cases as many as three driven turntables have been provided at each coiling station, with means for bringing each turntable beneath the coiling station in succession.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple form of can-driving means which will permit the can-changing operation to be performed speedily and reliably by automatic mechanism as a step in a partially or completely automatized process.

According to our invention, coiling apparatus for textile slivers in which slivers are received in a rotary can, comprises a can support, a rotary can-driving member beneath said support, and means for engaging said member with the base of a can on said support so as to lift the can therefrom and to impart driving motion thereto, said member being otherwise spaced from the can base so as to leave the can free for movement to or from the coiling station.

According to a further feature of the invention, the can support is adapted to support a line of cans, and may consist of a wheeled carriage or trolley which may be movable to bring an empty can to or to remove a full can from the coiling station. The floor of said trolley is provided with an aperture beneath each can, so that when an empty can is located at the coiling station the can driving member may be raised through the aperture so as to lift the can from the trolley and impart rotary drive thereto. When a can is full, the can driving member will be lowered out of driving engagement with the can and the latter is again supported by the trolley.

7 3,462,800 Patented Aug. 26, 1969 A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in, and is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In said drawings FIGS. 1 and 2 are small-scale general views of the apparatus, being respectively side and front elevations;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the can-driving mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a plan of the can-indexing mechanism;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are respectively a vertical section and a part plan of the mechanism for driving the can-driving member; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of fluid operated controls.

The drawings illustrate the application of the invention to a single-head high-speed draw-frame processing a number of textile slivers, the single output sliver being delivered by a conventional coiler unit into successive cylindrical cans. As will be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the draw-frame accommodates a row of cans 10 each containing an input sliver which is forwarded by a roller 11 and driven roller 12 along a table 121 side by side with the other slivers to the drafting system enclosed Within the casing 13. The single output sliver is delivered in coiled formation by a coiler enclosed at 14 into one of a line of cans 15.

A number of the cans 15 are mounted in alignment upon a wheeled trolley 16 which is arranged to run along a straight track or passage-way 17 extending directly beneath the coiler head 14, so that the several cans 15 are in turn positioned beneath the coiler head tube-plate as each can reaches the correct receiving relationship with the coiler 14.

The trolley fioor is apertured at 161 (FIG. 3) beneath each can 15, so that a can at the coiling station is capable of being rotated by can-driving means situated beneath the trolley 16 and adapted to be moved through the aperture 161 to engage the can.

Said can-driving means consists of a disc 18 having an operative connection with a driving mechanism as hereinafter described. Said disc 18 is mounted on a rotary spindle 19 which is capable of being raised and lowered through said aperture 161 in the can trolley 16. When so raised, the disc 18 will impinge against the underside of the base 151 of the can and, due to its rotation, the disc will transmit rotary motion to the can 15. The upper extremity 191 of the spindle 19 is arranged to be received in an aperture 152 in the can base, so as to ensure that the driving disc is correctly centered on the can axis. The piston of a pneumatic jack 20 located beneath the track or passageway 17 is connected to a bell-crank lever 21, 22 through which the spindle is raised and lowered according to the operation of the jack 20. The arm 22 of said lever is forked and each limb carries a bowl 23 which is received in a circular groove 241 of a bearing housing 24 in which the spindle 19 is rotatably supported (FIG. 5).

When a can has been filled, as determined e.g. by suitable length-measuring apparatus, the draw-frame is stopped, by energization of an electro-magnetic brake in the drawframe main drive, the said driving disc 18 is lowered so that the can resumes its position on the floor of the trolley 16, and the trolley 16 is indexed (-by means hereinafter described) into a position such that the next empty can 15 thereon is brought in its turn to the coiling station in readiness to be engaged by the driving disc 18- which runs beneath the coiler-head, and connected to the trolley carrying the can being filled, so that the indexing of the second trolley will follow automatically when all the cans on the first trolley have been filled. The trolley carrying the filled cans is automatically uncoupled from the following trolley on emerging from the cooling station.

Powered means for indexing the trolleys 16 after each can 15 has been filled are shown in FIG. 4. Mounted alongside the track or passage-way 17 is a pneumatic jack 25 having a stroke equal to the distance through which a trolley 16 must be indexed between successive can-filling operations The piston of said jack 25 carries a cross-head 26 which is arranged to slide in a horizontal guide 27 and which carries a spring-pressed catch 28 having a bevelled face 281. Said catch 28 is adapted to enter a recess 162 in a vertical plate 163 attached to the trolley, so that when the jack 25 is actuated to extend the piston the trolley is indexed along the track 17 to the extent of the stroke of the jack. When the jack 25 is subsequently reversed, the retraction of the piston causes the catch 28 to disengage the recess 162 in the plate 163, the bevelled face 281 of the catch enabling the latter to ride up the edge of the recess and along the face of the plate 163 until it reaches and enters the next recess 162 in readiness for the next indexing operation. Guides 29 are provided at intervals for ensuring the correct alignment of the trolleys on the track. The trolleys are locked in the can-coiling positions by means of a bolt 30 arranged to be actuated by a pneumatic jack 31, the end of the bolt entering an aperture 164 provided in the plate 163 in association with each catch-engaging recess 162.

The several jacks 20, 25 and 31 are energized through the operation of valves which are automatically opened or closed under the control of the afore-mentioned lengthmeasuring apparatus, in co-ordination with the mechanism used for stopping and starting the draw-frame. Additional manually operable control means may be provided to permit the various powered operations to be carried out at any stage in the cycle, eg in the event of its being necessary to piece a broken input or output sliver.

The sequence of operations will now be described assuming that a can in the coiling position has just been filled with sliver. A conventional length measuring motion operates to stop the draw-frame in the manner mentioned hereinbefore, and also to operate a switch and valve system to apply air pressure to the pneumatic jack 20 and to impart movement to the bell crank lever 21, 22 in the sense to lower the can driving disc 18, thus allowing the can 16 to rest on the trolley while the driving disc is lowered to a position beneath the aperture in the trolley.

When downward movement of the arm 22 of the bell crank lever is completed a valve A is operated to apply pneumatic pressure to the jack 31 which unlocks the trolley by operation of bolt 30. When the bolt 30 is fully retracted a valve B (FIGS. 4 and 7) is operated by member 31b to apply pressure to the hydraulic jack 25 in the sense to move the trolley by catch 28 to index the trolley until an empty can is placed beneath the coiling position. Just before the end of the traversing stroke, the crosshead 26 of the pneumatic jack 25 contacts a microswitch MS2 which operates a valve to reverse the flow of fluid to the pneumatic jack 31 by means hereinafter described, to urge the bolt 30 against the side of the carriage. When the next recess or aperture 164 is in line with the bolt 30 the bolt engages and locks the carriage with an empty can in the coiling position.

When the bolt engages, the trolley valve D is operated and reverses the direction of air pressure in hydraulic jack 20 to move the bell crank lever 21, 22 in the sense to urge the driving disc 18 through the aperture in the trolley to engage the base of the empty can and to lift it from the trolley so that it can be driven by the disc 18. Lifting of the bell crank lever 22 also operates valve E to reverse the'flow to the pneumatic jack 25 and thus rctracts the cross-head to the position shown in FIG. 4

'- form of a hunting tooth mechanism which is driven from the delivery rollers of the drafting system and which includes a switch which operates when a predetermined length of sliver sufficient to fill a can has been delivered. The switch of the hunting tooth mechanism, upon operation, stops the draw-frame and, causes the de-energization of the solenoid of the valve PAV 2 and the energization of the solenoid of the valve PAV 1. Upon de-energization of the valve PAV 2, air under pressure from the supply line 40 is fed via feed line 41 to the pneumatic jack 20, causing the latter to impart movement to the bell crank lever 21, 22 in the sense to lower the can driving disc 18, thus lowering the can 15 to rest on the trolley while the driving disc is lowered to a position beneath the aperture in the trolley.

When downward movement of the arm 22 of the bell crank lever is completed, a valve actuating arm 24a attached to hearing housing 24 opens air valve A so as to allow pressurized air to be fed to the closed air valve B and to the pneumatic jack 31 which thereupon retracts and withdraws the bolt 30 from engagement with the trolley. The bolt 30 carries a valve actuating arm 31b which on completion of the retracting stroke of the jack 31 causes the air valve B to open which thereupon transmits air under pressure to the pneumatic jack 25 which in response thereto extends to index the trolley until an empty can is placed beneath the coiling position. At the end of the traveling stroke, the cross-head 26 of the pneumatic jack 25 contacts a microswitch MS2 which is so connected in the energizing circuits of the solenoid operated valves PAV 1 and PAV 2 as to cause the former to become de-energized and the latter to become energized. Upon the changing over of the valve PAV 2, air under pressure from the supply line 40 is fed via feed line 42 to a closed air valve D and upon the changing over of the valve PAV 1 air under pressure from the supply line 40 is fed via the feed line 43 to a normally closed air valve C and to the other end of the pneumatic jack 31, which thereupon extends causing the bolt 30 to enter into locking engagement with the trolley. At the end of the traversing stroke of the pneumatic jack 31 the valve actuating arm 31b engages the two valves D and C causing these valves to open, the valve D permitting air under pressure to be fed to the other end of the pneumatic jack 20, causing the latter to move the bell crank lever 21, 22 in the sense to urge the driving disc 18 through the aperture in the trolley to engage the base of the empty can and to lift it from the trolley so that it can be driven by the disc 18, while the valve C permits air under pressure to be fed to the closed valve E. Upon completion of the traversing stroke to the pneumatic jack 20, valve actuating arm 24b engages the valve E causing it to open and transmit air under pressure to the other end of the jack 25, which thereupon retracts causing the cross-head 26 to move to the position shown in FIG. 4, where the catch 28 engages the trolley for the next indexing movement. At the same time, the actuating arm 26a carried by the crosshead 26 comes into engagement with a microswitch MSl included in the control circuit for the drive to energize an electro-magnetic clutch and de-energize an electro magnetic brake, both clutch and brake being conventionally arranged in a draw-frame main drive causing the draw-frame, turntable and coiler head to recommence operation and deliver to the empty can a further measured length of sliver. Valves PAV l and PAV 2 are in the condition set by operation of microswitch MS2 and remain in this condition until the switch of the hunting tooth mechanism stops the draw-frame and causes deenergization of the solenoid of the valve PAV 2 and energization of the solenoid of the valve PAV 1.

Rotary driving motion is imparted to the can-driving disc 18 by means of a peg 32 (FIG. 5) which is slidably received in a bearing 331 which forms part of a driving wheel 33. This is driven by the rotary motion of the main coiler drive shaft 34 which is used to operate an eccentric 35 which is connected to rocking levers 36, 37 linked to friction pawls 38, 39 etc. which are arranged intermittently to engage a flange 332 on said wheel 33 and to drive the same. Thus, it may be seen from FIGS. 5 and 6, the rotary eccentric 35 will first turn one of the levers 36 and 37 and then the other of the levers 36 and 37, so that through the illustrated linkage first one of the friction pawls 38 and 39 and then the other one will, by frictional engagement with the flange 332 of wheel 33, maintain the latter continuously rotating in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 6.

As may be seen from FIGS. 5 and 6, the rocking levers 36, 37 are swingable about a stationary pivot 34a. The lever 37 is pivotally connected to the outer ends of a pair of links 37a and 37!) which in turn are pivotally connected to the blocks shown in FIG. 6 which support the friction pawls for radial movement toward the axis of the wheel 33. These friction pawls are formed with notches extending downwardly from their upper surfaces and receiving the downwardly directed flange 332, and in the same way the blocks which slidably guide the friction pawls are similarly notched to receive the flange 332. The springs 38a, 38c and 39a coact with the blocks to maintain the friction pawls 38, 38b and 39 in engagement with the outer surface of the flange 332. The end of the lever 36 opposite from that which is connected to the link 36a is connected to another unillustrated link corresponding to the link 37b which is connected to the link 37 and connected in precisely the manner shown in FIG. 6 with a fourth unillustrated pawl which engages the flange 332. The shapes of the pawls are such that when they move in a counterclockwise direction, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 6, they will advance the wheel 33 in this direction, while when moved in the reverse direction they will simply slide along the exterior surface of the wheel.

The eccentric 35 is turnable in a bearing which carries the web 34b shown in FIG. 6, and this web 34b is pivotally connected at one end directly to the rock lever 36. At its other end, the web 34b is pivotally connected to an arcuate link 2340 which is in turn pivotally connected to the lever 37. In this way the motion of the eccentric 35 around the axis of the shaft 34 will cause the levers 36 and 37 to swing about the stationary pivot 34a, thus producing at any given instant rotary movement of the wheel 33 through one of the friction pawls which engages the same.

During raising and lowering of the disc 18, the pin 32 slides through the guide 331 so as to maintain the driving engagement between the wheel 33 and the disc 18.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus for coiling textile slivers at a coiling station into rotary cans, a can support, a rotary candriving member beneath said support, and means for raising said member from a lower position to an upper position engaging said member with the base of a can on said support for lifting the can therefrom and for imparting rotary motion thereto, said member, when in said lower position thereof, being spaced from the can base so as to leave the can free for movement to and from the coiling station, said can support supporting a line of cans and including a wheeled trolley movable to bring an empty can into and to remove a full can from the coiling station, means for indexing each of said cans on said trolley into operative position at said coiling station, said trolley having a floor formed with apertures respectively situated beneath the cans on said floor to provide for engagement of the rotary driving member through an aperture with a can thereover.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising means for imparting constant driving motion to the can-driving member.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means for indexing said wheeled trolley constitutes a means to remove a full can from and to bring an empty can to said coiling station.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said indexing means coacts with said trolley for indexing the latter past the coiling station, said indexing means including a fluid-pressure means having a reciprocatory component and a catch actuated thereby, said trolley having a plate formed with a series of recesses, said catch engaging one of said series of recesses in said plate on said trolley, the movement of said component in one direction traversing the trolley through the engagement of said catch with one of said recesses, While on a reverse stroke of the fluid-pressure means the catch is retracted to engage the next recess preparatory to the succeeding indexing operation.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including fluidpressure actuated means for releasably locking said can trolley in relation to the coiling station.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 718,084 10/1931 France.

363,807 12/1931 Great Britain. 865,820 4/1961 Great Britain. 888,070 1/1962 Great Britain.

ROBERT R. MACKEY, Primary Examiner 

